The Kabul Tribune (KT) — A United Nations-backed program, supported by Italy, is helping Afghan farmers shift away from opium poppy cultivation to legal crops, benefiting tens of thousands of vulnerable households across the country.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said
farmers, particularly in eastern Nangarhar province, are replacing poppy
farming with crops such as citrus and legumes, creating more sustainable and
lawful sources of income.
According to UNODC, its Alternative Development program has
operated in nine provinces and supported more than 47,300 households between
August 2021 and December 2024.
Earlier data shows that from 2016 to 2021, over 60,000
people in 20 provinces benefited from the initiative, nearly half of them
women.
The program provides training, agricultural inputs, improved
technology and market access to support farmers transitioning to legal
livelihoods.
UNODC said the initiative also contributes to rural economic
development, supports women’s income generation and aims to reduce dependence
on illicit crop cultivation in Afghanistan.
